Raimondo announces additional $100M for R.I. businesses, families

Updated at 2:26 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020.

AHEAD OF the state's two week pause period, where many businesses will be shut down to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo announced Wednesday an additional $100 million for Rhode Island businesses and families. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO announced Wednesday an additional allocation of $100 million from the state's federal COVID-19 stimulus funds for Rhode Island businesses and families. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – Ahead of the state’s two week pause period, where many businesses will be shut down to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo announced Wednesday an additional $100 million for Rhode Island businesses and families.

The funds, which come from the state’s CARES Act funds, will be split into two separate accounts; $50 million for businesses that will be directly impacted by the two week pause and $50 million for Rhode Islanders left unemployed during the two-week pause, which begins Nov. 30.

Raimondo said she wants these grants for businesses to be “out the door and in your pockets in a matter of weeks.”

“This is not an onerous process,” said Raimondo, who said business owners will “only have to self-attest” that they will be severely impacted by the two-week pause.

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Many businesses, such as restaurants, bars, movie theaters, gyms, recreational facilities, among others will be shut down or constrained because of the restrictions during this two-week pause.

Businesses that apply on tax.ri.gov/RIonPause, will be eligible for a check of up to $50,000, according to Raimondo. She said the grant amount provided to these businesses will depend on business revenues. The application, she said, will be available Wednesday afternoon.

Businesses will have two weeks to apply, and the governor said it is her goal to start pushing these grants out to businesses “within a week.”

“Please use the money to continue paying your employees throughout the two weeks,” said Raimondo to the businesses that will eventually receive the funding.

Raimondo said she believes the $100 million is an “appropriate” amount, to be dispersed from the CARES Act funds. However, businesses should not expect any additional funding because of what is left of the state’s $1.25 billion stimulus, she said.

Raimondo said the state has enough staff employed to meet the demand of businesses applying for the new financial relief funds, noting that she would add more personnel to handle demand if needed.

The governor’s briefing comes as members of the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition Wednesday hosted a socially distanced car rally where participants called on the state to release an additional $150 million in CARES Act funding to help aid small businesses through “a simple, streamlined and more inclusive grant process.”

Chris Parisis, owner of Trailblaze Marketing, and co-founder of the coalition, said in a release that there were more than 200 participants in the car rally.

“Small businesses are running out of options. Many have closed shop for good, and to hear that the governor has held on to this money for so long has left small businesses furious,” said Parisi.

Some business owners and managers, including those operating indoor-recreation facilities, have also previously expressed concern that the pause may extend beyond two weeks. Raimondo said the best thing for such owners, along with restaurant and gym owners, is to have all their friends and family “follow the rules” during the pause.

“If they do, we won’t need to extend the pause,” Raimondo said. 

When asked what contingencies does the state have in place if the pause is extended past Dec. 13, Raimondo said “we’ll deal with it when we get there.”

In addition to the business-directed funds, every Rhode Islander who is unemployed during the two-week pause is going to receive $200 in additional benefits each week. This will include Rhode Islanders who are already unemployed, or filing unemployed because of the two-week pause, mandated by the state. Recipients will receive a maximum of $400, representative of $200 each week under the state’s “pause.”

Nursing home workers and home-care workers will also receive income support, according to Raimondo. She said the state is also dedicating another $1 million to the Rhode Island Food Bank and Farm Fresh R.I. to make sure Rhode Islanders are fed through the rest of the year.

Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com. You may also follow her on Twitter at @AlexaGagosz.

This story has been updated.

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